Basics

Ease of Growing
Easy
Grown as
Annual
Days to Maturity
110-120 (Spring/Summer), 120-130 (Fall/Winter)
Growing Habit
-
Hardiness
Hardy

Parsnips are very hardy and prefer cooler temperatures under 75 degree F.

Crops
Spring, Fall
Growing Season
Long
Cultivar Type
-
Growing Conditions
Cold, Cool

Parsnip seed is quite slow to germinate, taking almost three weeks at 60 degrees F. It may not germinate well if the soil is very warm, which could be a problem if you are planting in mid summer. You could try cooling the soil a little by repeated watering with cold water. The most critical aspect of sowing is depth, as the seedlings aren't very vigorous and must not be sown too deeply.

Parsnips don't grow very well above 75 degrees F, so roots that mature in warm summer weather are generally inferior to those maturing in the cold weather of late autumn. For this reason parsnips are really a fall crop.

Parsnips need constant moisture (especially when the roots are sizing up), so don't let the soil get too dry.

Outdoor Growing Temp
45°F - 75°F
Min Outdoor Soil Temp
40°F

The seed is quite slow to germinate, taking almost 3 weeks at 60°F. It may not germinate well if the soil is very warm, which could be a problem if you are planting in mid summer. You could try cooling the soil a little by repeated watering with cold water.

Start Indoors
No
Start Outdoors
Yes
Light
Part shade (Cool, Warm)

Parsnips do better than most common crops in light shade, though they are more productive in full sun. They are in the ground for a long time, so should be located where they won’t interfere with late garden operations such as fall bed preparation.

Sun: min. 6 hours daily (Cool, Warm)

Parsnips do better than most common crops in light shade, though they are more productive in full sun. They are in the ground for a long time, so should be located where they won’t interfere with late garden operations such as fall bed preparation.

Water
Moderate

Parsnips need constant moisture (especially when the roots are sizing up), so don't let the soil get too dry.

Feeder
Light

Parsnips are a good crop to plant after potatoes. They like the deeply dug soil and the previous heavy fertilization. If the soil isn't very fertile, give your plants a regular feed of compost tea or liquid seaweed every month.

Suitability
Tolerates light frost, Tolerates hard frost, Partial shade
Small Gardens?
Yes
Containers?
No
Attracts beneficial insects?
No
Color
Cream colored
Fruit Size
12.0 - 15.0"
Plant Height
6.0 - 18.0"
Plant Diameter
5.0 - 8.0"
Hardiness Zone
3-10
Disease Resistance
Taste Profile

Deliciously sweet and nutty.

Rotation Group
Roots: Alliums + Umbeliferae